The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1887-02-09
THE GIRLS WON THE RACE.

host of delights, but l doubt it. Tho
old farm house was set behind q row Of
poplar trees, and even yet l can sec
when I close my eyes the sway Of their
stately tops, when tho harper OF the
winds called time for sudden storms, or
when on breezy summer afternoons tho
changcful silver Of their reversed leaves
cleaned like the crest Of a breaking
billow. Leading up to the house was q
garden walk bordered with pinks,
bachelor buttons and ribbon grasses.
The lower windows were hidden behind
syringa bushes and plumy ~lilacs, and
tho big timo-worn flag-stono which
formed the doorstep was bordercd with
scraggy tufts Of %chickwecd, broad-leaycd
plantain and the golden plume Of that
stoalthy marauder, the mustard weed;
an uncanny crow which grandma's
patient wedding could mover quito
eliminate.
Around ut the sidc door was q low
bench, where the milk pans were always
summing, and an old wcll-swcep balanced
lightly among the apple trees. a few
holly-hocks formed II pretty barrier to u
spot which was set apart for bee hives,
and q long line Of currant bushes was
the chosen ambush for troops 0 amaZcd
hens, and an astonlshcd rooster whose
chucklc Of dismay proclaimed tho ap-
proach Of every wandering footstcp.
There were three girls Of us who
rcigned supreme i'll this lovely spot.
Cousins all Of us. and each sent down
from Boston by Il respective parents
to be gotten out Of the way, while the
elder sisters took tho triumphal round
of summer watering places. Our turn
came later, but nothing that it cvcr
brought cqualled tho rapture Of those
perfect summers on the farm.
Our privileges were absolute, and
only ut the stable door did dear old
grandpa draw The line.
~hTonanaY iako u: Old mare ,titis,
wl'al ever YOU Ike, lGltncss htl III
and drive To JcEiGh0 lay0tI want 10, Jut.
ksm,t taye Yon hrpakina yoor pqeks
<t. NC coit,,}
''}nt grandpa, sue nTtgo tosl ami
ifiQ trpta ltSc VI c!icli III oi Il Stoyc lid,n
SAID iAitLy.
"And she's homely as sin 1" rcmon-
strated Sue.
"And she brcathcs so hard, Pin
always afraid she's going to lie down
and die" murmurcd I.
But our remonstranccs availcd us
nothing; it was the old mare or stay at
homo, SO finally we grew rcconcilcd to
her, and her peculiaritics gave us little
concern.
Ono lovely August morning we
harncsscd her up fox q drive over TO the
village to get the tri-wcckly mail. The
sun promised q sultry day, but the
morning hours were fresh with undricd
dew, and q breeze Of the night hko a
belated bird, was lettering and rusLlillg
in the tall poplar branches.
"Bctter drive her along middling
smart" said grandma, "thc wind'll die
down by ten o'clock, and J. reckon It'll
be a powerful hot day.
Grandma" said Sue, "if you tied
"klngdom Gomez to her tail the old
marc couldn't mako over q mile in
forty minutes"
II don't know about that" said
grandpa as he unfastencd the gate for
us to ride down tho lane, ''she used to
be considerable Of q traveller in her day,
and ono in awhile she lets out even
now, and shows the old go amt quite
dead yet"
Don't you think we had better take
one Of the colts, DEAR" said I swectly,
''perhaps she may ''lct out" suddenly
and run away with us.''
60 long with you, sauce box,n said
the inlcxiblc old gentleman, ST wouldn't
give five coppcrs for your nccks If you
were behind one Of them frisky colts.n
So away we drove out Of tho bloom
ing lane, and onto tho dusty, level high
way, which marked tho good two mile
distance to the village.
We sat crowded III ono seat for there
VAS always q drawn battle as to who
ahonld drive, tho things were easier
adjusted il we all sat together SO that
the rcins could be easily shifted. Sue
carried u big Bingham umbrella, which
Tapped III the wind like u yellow sail;
Kitty held valiantly Oh TO Il big earthcn
crock filed with butter, and bound to
tho village ~storckecpcr, and I tempo
rarily handled the rcins. we had no
whip, We lad long ago found it to be Il
matter OF utter indifference to tho marc